Wednesday, February 4th

I had the wonderful honor of wearing the Math-a-Thon cape today.  My homeroom was the top class in the WHOLE school!  Our point goal exceeded the second place class by almost 3,000 points.  I'm so proud of them and their hard work.

During class today students worked on their informational papers.  Many finished their rough drafts in class and are prepared to do peer reviews tomorrow.  During social studies we continued the "End of the Great Depression" lesson and discussed Eleanor Roosevelt's role during the Great Depression.  We concluded our day by reading Messenger.

Today is World Cancer Day and February also happens to be my own remission anniversary.  I have been cancer free for 12 years now and I'm thankful that students take time to raise money each year for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Both of these cancers disproportionally affect young people, and I myself was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease (a type of lymphoma) when I was 22.  Several students from both classes have already brought in money, so they're doing a great job!

Wednesday, January 28th

We completed our daily grammar and continued reading/discussing Messenger.  Then we did a notes check so students between both classes could make sure all of our notes are consistent.  Then we continued learning about the Great Depression by focusing on the Dust Bowl.  We watched, discussed, and took notes on a video clip.  Then students read "Children of the Dust" in their social studies textbooks.  They answered some reading comprehension questions and finished the lesson by writing a reflection about minorities during the Great Depression.

Tuesday, January 28th

Students completed a snapshot today of RI5 and RI6.  Those standards focus on comparing/contrasting text information and analyzing multiple accounts of the same event.  I'll be using that data to make the small reading groups for the rest of this week.  We then continued reading Messenger.  Students were able to discuss the symbolism of Forrest and also identify other literary elements.

During social studies we continued discussing the causes of the Great Depression.  Students took notes and discussed Hoover's perspective on the role of business and government intervention. 

During homeroom for the ext several days, both classes are doing an independent film study of The Grapes of Wrath.

Friday, January 23rd

We continued reading Messenger and then we finished our 1920s notes.  At the end of the lesson, students discussed Herbert Hoover and his role at the beginning of the Great Depression.  We concluded our day by reviewing the poetry elements we've already discussed and a few new concepts.  Next week they will finish the activity and review for the upcoming literary assessment (date TBD).

Students who want to get a head start on next week's vocabulary can go to the vocabulary quizlet.

Students successfully identified the alliteration and personification in Shel Silverstein's "The Farmer and the Queen."

After they finished the notes, students worked together to answer the question, "What was Herbert Hoover's role in America's economic decline?  Was the 1929 Stock Market Crash and/or the Great Depression his fault?"

1920s Economics Notes